1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antibacterial and antipupation composition for growing and cultivating plants.
2. Prior Art
Conventional artificial bed soils include dried sphagnum.
Sphagnum, a moss belonging to the family Sphagnaceae, has transparent cells of high water absorptivity, based on which it serves well as a bed soil material.
The prior art bed soil described above has the following drawbacks (1) through (5).
(1) Since sphagnum shows a high water retentivity (water retention ratio about 60% by volume), frequent rainfall or watering causes root rot in grown plants (particularly orchids) due to moisture damage associated with excess water retention. PA1 (2) Since sphagnum is highly decomposable by bacteria, ammoniac nitrogen concentration increases significantly with time. It is therefore difficult to determine the appropriate amount of fertilizer to use, which uncertainty can easily lead to salt injury due to excess application, followed by poor growth of grown plants. PA1 (3) To avoid the wet injury and salt injury described above, water and fertilizer amounts must be strictly regulated at appropriate levels with the confirmation of water retention status and nutrient concentration status, which makes watering and fertilizer application management difficult. PA1 (4) As stated above, since sphagnum is highly decomposable by bacteria, it loses its bed soil function with time. Continuous use for 2 to 3 years as bed soil material causes what is called injury by continuous cropping, in which it is almost impossible to grow plants. PA1 (5) As stated above, since sphagnum is highly decomposable by bacteria, it changes to powder form after being used as bed soil material for 1 to 2 years, when it nourishes airborn weed seeds on bed soil surface and aids in their germination, easily leading to the occurrence of weeds. PA1 (6) Since when dried, its surface becomes water repellent, water permeability and water retentivity are lost, which prevents the irrigation water from reaching the roots and causes the death of grown plants. PA1 (7) Since drying must be prevented during cultivation to avoid the water repellency described above, watering must always be conducted before drying, which makes watering management troublesome. PA1 (8) Since drying must be prevented even in the process of product distribution to avoid the water repellency described above, water must be supplemented in the process of distribution, as the case may be, which makes product management troublesome. PA1 (9) Since the finished product must be kept water retaining, as stated above, product weight is increased, which is disadvantageous in transportation. PA1 (1) An artificial bed soil produced by the addition of a surfactant to the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar and/or Japanese cypress, namely, an artificial bed soil, which comprises (1) a surfactant and (2) the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar and/or Japanese cypress; PA1 (2) An artificial bed soil characterized by the retention of said surfactant to porous grains, namely, an artificial bed soil wherein said surfactant is retained in porous grains; PA1 (3) An artificial bed soil characterized by further including vermiculite; PA1 (4) An artificial bed soil characterized by the use of vermiculite in place of the surfactant; PA1 (5) An artificial bed soil characterized by the addition of a water-holding material; PA1 (6) A mulching material comprising an artificial bed soil; and PA1 (7) A flower bed characterized in that an artificial bed soil is placed on a roof floor or veranda. PA1 (1) Since the water retentivity of the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress is appropriately low (water content is about 30% by volume), even when rainfall or watering is frequent, there is litte fear of wet injury due to excess water retention; thus root rot in grown plants (particularly orchids) is effectively prevented. PA1 (2) The shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress is almost undecomposable by bacteria, enduring long-term use for more than 10 years. Also, since it shows little time-related change in ammoniac nitrogen concentration, it is easy to determine the appropriate fertilizer amount, and there is little fear of salt injury due to excess nutrition; poor growth of grown plants is thus efficiently prevented. PA1 (3) Watering and fertilizer application management is easy, since excess water retention is not caused even by frequent rainfall or watering, and it is easy to determine an appropriate fertilizer amount as stated above. PA1 (4) Since the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress is not easily decomposable by bacteria as stated above, its bed soil function does not decrease with time, thus causing no injury by continuous cropping, in which plant cultivation becomes almost impossible after 2 to 3 years. PA1 (5) Since the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress is not easily decomposable by bacteria as stated above, its shape remains unchanged; therefore, it is difficult for airborn weed seeds to enter into the surface of the bed soil, the weed seeds become dry immediately and fail to germinate, and the occurrence of weeds is prevented. PA1 (6) Even when the surface of the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress becomes water repellent after drying, surface wettability is increased by the surfactant in response to water supply by rainfall or watering, and thus it regains water permeability and water retentivity by water absorption in its texture. PA1 (7) Water permeation is ensured even when the surface of the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress becomes dry during cultivation; it is unnecessary to always water before drying with confirmation of water retention status; thus watering management is easy. PA1 (8) Since it is unnecessary to avoid drying, water supplementation is unnecessary in the process of product distribution; thus product management is easy. PA1 (9) Since the finished product can be obtained dry, product weight can be reduced for convenience in transportation. PA1 (10) The surfactant is gradually released from porous grains, thus ensuring the recovery of water permeability and other properties of the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress. PA1 (11) Even when the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress becomes water repellent after drying, water permeation is ensured through the water paths formed by vermiculite, thus not causing the death of grown plants. PA1 (12) The water retentivity of the water-holding material aids the shredded cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress in retaining a large amount of water for a long time, thus ensuring water supply to grown plants. PA1 (13) Since the artificial bed soil of the present invention has a thermoinsulating effect, roof floor overheat is prevented and room temperature increase in the rooms below the roof floor is suppressed in summer when it is used as a bed soil for roof floor gardening. In winter, it serves well to keep rooms warm. PA1 (14) Since the artificial bed soil of the present invention has an antifrost effect, frost injury on cultivated plants (particularly shallow-rooted plants) is prevented. PA1 (15) Since the artificial bed soil of the present invention has a pupation preventing effect and an antibacterial effect, it permits agrichemical-free cultivation. For example, since house flies are controlled, the artificial bed soil of the present invention is hygienically favorable for house gardening. Lawn death may occur due to root eating by the Japanese beetle. Since the artificial bed soil of the present invention controls the Japanese beetle, it is suitable to lawn growing, and is conducive to mitigation of the current social problem of agrichemical use in golf links. The artificial bed soil of the present invention also permits agrichemical-free cultivation of herbs and other healthful plants.
In addition, since sphagnum rots in at most one year, it must be renewed every year or slightly less, particularly in orchid cultivation.
Particularly in orchid cultivation, sphagnum must be renewed in about 1 year, as stated above.
It has long been desired that an artificial bed soil free of these drawbacks be developed, of a material whose water retentivity is appropriately low and whose bacterial decomposability is low.
Recently, a method has been proposed in which the cortex of Japanese cedar or Japanese cypress is cut into bed soil material form for use as such a material [Konnichi no Nogyo, Chemical Daily Press, April, 1989, pp. 110-114)].
However, even this type of artificial bed soil poses the following new problems (6) through (9).
The object of the present invention is to provide an artificial bed soil free of wet injury, nutrient salt injury and injury by continuous cropping and capable of recovering or maintaining its water permeability and water retentivity even when once dried.